Youngest-Ever Macomb County Commissioner Focused On Education, Development

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MOUNT CLEMENS (WWJ) - The youngest ever Chairman of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners is ambitious about making changes in the county.

Twenty-seven-year-old David Flynn, who was re-elected in November 2012 to serve his fourth term on the board, said the title of Chairman means he’s in charge of the direction of the county.

Flynn told WWJ Newsradio 950 that he would like to see more efforts to embrace Macomb County’s growing diversity, and that includes making education a top priority.

“I think that we need to continue to expand higher education programs in Macomb County. We’re still the third largest county, population wise, in the nation not to have a four-year university or compilation satellite campus,” he said.

But it’s not all about higher education. Flynn would also like every school district in the county to offer foreign language classes, like Mandarin Chinese, to help students compete for jobs in the future.

Flynn said he would also like to see a detailed plan to develop the land along Lake St. Clair, as well as a plan to pay for it.

“I think that the lake, like Mark Hackel says, ought to be a top priority. It’s about actually putting a plan in place and finding funding for it to make it an attraction,” he said.

Flynn, a Sterling Heights resident, was first elected to the county’s Board of Commissioners in 2006 when he was just 20-years-old. During his time on the Board, Flynn has chaired the Education and Training Committee, and Co-Chaired the Economic Development Committee, while serving on numerous others.

His goals as a commissioner include: ensuring a smooth transition to a new form of government, balancing the county’s budget, continuing to increase opportunities for higher education in the county, and working with the Office of County Executive to create a long-term economic development strategy that focuses on emerging industries, entrepreneurship, and investment in infrastructure.